Kerala Style Pappaya Erissery

Kaplanga erissery or raw papaya erissery is a variation of the traditional banana and yam erissery of the onam sadya. I usually make pumpkin erissery for regular lunch meals.  Love the taste of raw papaya thoran, you can make it easily by substituting raw papaya for the cabbage in my cabbage thoran recipe. The papaya erissery is also an easy and delicious curry accompaniment for rice. You can make it with various combinations like, with tuvara parippu [toor dal] or vanpayar [cow peas]. I usually make it with the dal as my children love most parippu curry preparations. I mash up the papaya to hide it in the curry. They love the flavor, but they will spit out the entire mouthful of rice, if they bite on any lumps. Kids! Personally, I like biting into the small bits of papaya in the erissery.

Ingredients:

1.       Raw pappaya –  2 cups, chopped

2.       Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

3.       Salt – to taste

4.       Water- for cooking

Chop the raw pappaya into ½ inch cubes. Cook the pappaya with turmeric, and salt adding adequate water. Mash it up lightly.

5.       Grated coconut – ¾ cup

6.       Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

7.       Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

8.       Green chillies – 2

Grind coconut with other ingredients, adding a little water, till fine and smooth. Add this to the cooked vegetables.  Cook for five minutes. Add a little water, if desired, to adjust the consistency.

9.       Coconut oil – 1 tbsp

10.   Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

11.   Shallots – 3, sliced

12.   Dry red chillies -2

13.   Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Heat the oil in a small kadai. Add the mustard seeds, when they splutter, add remaining ingredients and sauté till the onion are golden brown. Pour this over the curry.

14.   Grated coconut – 2 tbsp

Roast the grated coconut in the same kadai till light brown. Toss this over the erissery. Pappaya is ready to be served with hot rice.

Secret Grandma Tips:

• The signature of the erissery is the roasted coconut garnishing, so never skip that.
• Prepare the erissery using coconut oil, if you want the authentic Kerala taste.
• The consistency of the dish should be reasonably thick. [Not flowing]
• Be careful not to burn the mustard seeds or shallots in the tempering oil.
• You can prepare the papaya erissery with dal to make it more healthy and tasty.
• Red chilly powder may be substituted for green chillies and this will give the dish a more orangish color for those who prefer it that way.